


Lost Get Found

by spinningthreads



Category: Ultraman Gaia
Genre: Finale spoilers, Gen, M/M, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-19
Updated: 2019-02-19
Packaged: 2019-10-31 19:15:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17855441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spinningthreads/pseuds/spinningthreads
Summary: Can't hide forever. Though technically's he's not hiding. Anymore.





	Lost Get Found

Gamu sat in the quadrangle of Jounan University, his fingers tapping reluctantly at the keys on his laptop, the warm spring wind blowing wisps of hair into his face. He'd already written this essay once, or at least a variation on the same theme, and it was frustrating having to write it again. Still, he'd accepted that would be the case when he'd decided to start his degree over again. A two year absence from classes meant he couldn't just pick up where he'd left off after joining XIG and everything that had followed; better to just start over, even though part of him rebelled at the thought of repeating the same classes and knowing that he'd given up access to more up to date experiments along with his resignation from XIG just over a year ago now. Still, restarting his degree and all that that entailed was a small price to pay considering he mostly got to study in peace now.

A shadow fell across his keyboard and he looked up, startled, only to be even more surprised to recognise the person scowling down at him, arms folded across his chest.

"You," Kajio-san said sternly, unfolding his arms in order to point an accusing finger at Gamu, "are an impossible person to track down, do you know that?"

"Kajio-san?" he blurted, too surprised to even take note of the inanity of his response. "What are you doing here?" Well, it wasn't too hard getting onto the grounds of the university, he supposed; it was only when you wanted to get into certain buildings that you needed your ID.

Kajio-san gave him a flat look, the one he usually reserved for people who said things that were incredibly stupid. "Looking for you, what do you think?" he demanded. "You fell off the radar for a _year_ , Gamu, did you think we wouldn't be worried about you? Where the hell did you go? I even called your parents in Chiba and _they_ hadn't seen you either."

Gamu shook off his surprise and dropped his gaze to his computer screen, the cursor on the page blinking at him as he struggled not to give in to a fresh wave of guilt. "I did go back there," he said eventually. "But not straightaway. I needed some space, Kajio-san, I needed..." Needed to be normal again. Needed to get used to no longer having the power of Gaia at his fingertips, needed to not be The Man Who Was Gaia, with reporters dogging his every move and who turned heads everywhere he went, no matter where that was. He'd needed to get away from all that before it drove him mad. Even his parents had had to install caller ID and in the end they'd just stopped accepting calls from unrecognised numbers. He swallowed hard and forced himself to look back up. "I'm sorry I worried everyone, Kajio-san."

Kajio-san's expression softened slightly and he gestured at the bench Gamu was sitting on. "May I?"

Gamu nodded slowly. "Of course."

Kajio-san sat down beside him, his shoulder brushing lightly against Gamu's own as he made himself comfortable. "I know you needed space," he said quietly. "Hell, anyone would with that media circus going on around them. Just..." he sighed. "Next time you decide you're going to vanish at least give us some warning first. Georgie and Atsuko were frantic and Team Hercules were ready to rip the city apart looking for you."

"I'm sorry," Gamu repeated, his fingers itching to reach out to the man sitting next to him. It wasn't hard to read between the lines to see how worried Kajio-san had been, for all that he wouldn't admit to it.

"Yes, well," Kajio-san muttered, blowing a strand of hair out of his face before tucking it behind his ear. "Don't do it again, that's all I'm saying. I'm not spending another year trying to track you down _again_."

"You spent all that time looking for me?" Gamu asked in surprise, not having any idea what to make of that realisation.

"For all the good it did," Kajio-san replied sourly, rubbing at the back of his head in annoyance. "How long have you been back here anyway?"

"About a month," Gamu admitted. "Since just before term started in April."

"That's something, I suppose. At least now I don't feel a _complete_ idiot for not realising you were back in Tokyo." Kajio-san glanced behind them at the walls of Jounan University. "Picking up where you left off?"

"Starting over," Gamu sighed. "I was away for two years, Kajio-san. I couldn't just pick up where I left off."

"Huh, I guess not," Kajio-san agreed. "That would be a lot of work to catch up, I bet." He glanced at Gamu's computer screen and his mouth quirked up in a smile. "Although having to redo all the stuff you'd done already must be a pain in the ass."

"It is," Gamu said with feeling. "I already know all of this, even without what I learned from my time with XIG." He pouted at his computer screen, not that it would do any good, when his eye fell on the clock in the corner. "Oh, shoot," he exclaimed. "It's almost time for class. I'm sorry, Kajio-san, I have to go."

Kajio-san nodded, then grabbed his wrist before he could dash off. "Hold up a sec, Gamu. Give me your phone number so I don't lose track of you again."

"Phone," Gamu repeated blankly. "Ah, right, of course." He waited until Kajio-san had his phone out before he rattled off the number, feeling a keen sense of satisfaction as Kajio-san finished tapping it in. "I really do have to go, Kajio-san," he apologised. "I'll see you later?"

Kajio-san grinned at him, pushing himself to his feet and slipping his hands into his jeans pockets. "Count on it. You're not shaking me so easily again, Gamu."

Gamu smiled back, bowed hurriedly, then broke into a fast walk towards his classroom, cursing his lack of attention to time. He and Kajio-san hadn't even had time to catch up properly, either. He looked back just before he entered the building but couldn't see his friend behind the crowd of students and for all he could tell Kajio-san had left already. His cellphone went off just as he reached his classroom and, as his teacher had yet to arrive, he dug it out of his pocket and flipped it open.

 _Lose this number and I'm telling Team Hercules you confessed to missing training sessions with them_ , said the message. _Good luck with your class. Hang in there._ Gamu closed the message, giddy smile on his face which he had to hurriedly try to suppress as Hoshikawa-sensei walked into the room. It was good to have Kajio-san back in his life again.


End file.
